Fender and fender shield construction



June 27, 1944. F. w. woHLFlELD FENDER AND FENDER SHIELD CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 8, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 27, 1944. F w WOHLFlELD 2,352,421

FENDER AND FENDER SHIELD CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 8, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mr/'EZ 22:72

- Qhwm Patented June 27, 1944 FENDER AND FENDER SHIELD CONSTRUCTION Frederick W. Wohlfleid, Detroit, Mich., asllgnor Houdaille-Hershey Corporation, Mich.. a corporation of Michigan Detroit,

Application August 8, 1941, Serial No. 405,896.

2 Claims. (Cl. 293-57) This invention relates to a fender and fender shield construction, and more particularly to a fender having a combined side bumper and fender shield thereon.

In the vehicle industry, and particularly in the automobile industry, various means have been utilized to improve the appearance of vehicle fenders. The usual vehicle fender is provided with an opening which aifords access to the vehicle, and which permits the ready removal ,of the Wheel in an axial direction. Since this Opening inherently presents an ugly outwardly appearance, detachable fender shields have been employed to substantially cover this opening.

As the term fender shield" shall hereinafter be employed, it refers to any member which is adapted to be secured to a fender or other portion of a vehicle body for the purpose of covering the opening in the fender or vehicle body which is provided for access to and removal of the vehicle wheel. Furthermore, as the term fender" shall hereinafter be employed, it refers to any form of wheel fender in its broad sense, whether such fender be separate from the vehicle body part, partly separate from the vehicle body part. or actually an integral part of the vehicle body. and whether or not it projects outwardlyaway from the principal body portion of the vehicle.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a fender and fender shield construction and assembly of novel design, and particularly a fender and fender shield having in combination therewith a side bumper portion or element.

' It is a further object of this invention to provide a fender and fender shield assembly which is economical to manufacture and which is rugged -.and reliable in use.

' Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel fender, fender shield and side bumper construction and assembly.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a combination fender shield and bumper construction which is detachably and pivotaliy supported on the vehicle.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a novel bumper construction and means for mounting the same.

Another and further object of this invention is to provide a novel fender shield and means for mounting the same.

The novel features which I believe to be characteristic of my invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. My invention itself, however, both as to its organization and manner of constructiomtogether with further v shield and side bumper construction thereon embodying the features of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged rear elevational view of the fender, fender shield and side bumper construction with aportion of the fender broken away to show the manner in which the fender shield and side bumper are pivotally supported on the rear bumper member;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view through the assembly as taken along the line III-III of Figure 2; Y

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of the fender shield assembly as taken along the line IV-IV of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view showing the detachable hinge connection between the side bumper and the rear bumper as taken along the line V-V of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view of the fender, fender shield and side bumper assembly as taken along the line VI-VI of Figure l and,

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view of the fender, fender shield and side bumper assembly as taken along the line VII-VII of Figure 1.

Referring now to the various gures of the drawings which illustrate one embodiment of the present invention, there is illustrated therein a vehicle ,fender Ill having a fender shield Il mounted thereon over the wheel access opening I2 in the outer depending side wall I3 of the fender Ill. While the fender III may assume a wide variety of shapes without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and may, indeed, be formed integral and made a part of the body itself (not shown) the fender I0 has been illustrated as being of a high crowned type. The fender shield II is detachably mounted on the fender I0 and is positioned to cover the relatively large opening I2 in the outer side wall I3 of the fender Ill which is conventionally provided in substantially all vehicle fenders to permit access to and removal of the vehicle wheel therethrough.

The edge of the fender I0 surrounding the opening I2 is provided with a marginal portion which is bent inwardly as at I4 (Figure 4) then downwardly as at I5 and nally forwardly as at I6 to provide an outwardly opening channel formation. This formation on the edge of the fender I0 not only stiiens the fender but also 'I'he fender shield Il comprises a sheet metal panel I1 which is large enough to cover the entire wheel access opening I2 as well as to be seated within the channel formation formed byr the marginal portions I4, I5 and I8 or the fender I8. The lower edge oi the panel I1 is bent inwardly as at I8 to form a base ilange therefor. The top and opposite sides f the panel |1 are bent back in a flange portion I8 upon which is mounted a rubber edging or cushioning strip 20 which may be secured or bonded thereto in any suitable manner well known to those skilled in the art.

This rubber molding or edging 20 is of such a size as to snugly 'ilt within the channel of the fender I0 formed by the flange portions I4, I5 and I6.

The fender shield is reinforced by a strut 2| which extends upwardly behind the panel portion |'1 from the lower base ilange I8 to a point in proximity -to the upper iiange I9. The strut 2| has a base portion 22 which is seated on the base iiange I8 and is secured thereto in any suitable manner. such as by rivets 28. In order that this strut member 2| may possess suiilcient rigidity without employing an undue amount of metal therein, it is preferably channel shaped in cross section.

Mounted on the top oi the strut 2| is a verti- `cally adjustable 'member 24 which extendsv up against the top flange |9 and also lies against the inner face of the panel portion l1 in proximity to the top flange I9. This adjustable plate 24 is carried on a threaded stud 25 which extends down into a recess formed by the upper portion of the strut 2| and a strap bracket 26 which is secured to the strut 2|. A pair of nuts 21 are iltted onto the threaded shank of thestud 25 and are tightened down against the top of the strut 2| to force the plate 24 upwardly into tight engagement with the ange I9.

Mounted on the strut 2| is a latching arm 28 which includes a short leg portion 29 and a relatively long leg portion 88, disposed at an angle with respect'to the short leg portion 29. This latching arm 28 may be conveniently mounted on the strut 2l by a mounting stud or rivet 8| as carried on the strut 2|. The short leg portion 29 of the latching arm 28 is shaped to engage the flange l of the fender I8 as ls clearly shown in Figure 4. The long leg portion 8II of the latching arm 28 extends downwardly to the bottom of the assembly and' its lower end 82 is offset with respect to the remaining portion of the latching arm 28 so as to enable it to be seated on a strut bracket 88 which is secured to the brace edge I8 of the tender in any suitable manner, such as by rivets 84.

Formed as an integral part of the fender shield construction II is an auxiliary bumper member 35 which is secured to the panel portion I1 in any suitable manner, such as by rivets 88. As is clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2, the auxiliary bumper member 85 forms a continuous and harmonious part' of the panel portion I1 and extends rearwardly in overlapping relationship with the fender I8 to a point in close proximity to the end o! the rear bumper member 81'. An attaching plate 88 is provided at the rear extremity of end-portions 4|. The attaching plate member 88 is secured to the auxiliary bumper member 88 in any suitable manner such as by rivets 42.

l A complementary attaching plate member 48 is provided on the rear bumper member 41 and includes a base portion 44 which is riveted. or otherwise suitably secured, as at 45, to the rear bumper member 41. This attaching plate 48 is in the form oi an angle plate having .a tree side wall portion 48 which is provided with suitable slots or openings 41 (Figure 5) through which the end portions 4| of the attaching plate 88 may extend.

The cooperating attaching plates 88 and 48 In conjunction with the channel portions I4, I8, I8 oi' the fender I0 into which the inwardly bent ilange I9 extends provides a vertical 81,1DDOrt for the fender shield and bumper unit. The cooperating attaching plates 88 and 48 in conjunction with the latching lever 28 provide means for restraining outward displacement of the tender shield and bumper unit away from the fender and hold it snugly in place thereon.

To reinforce the entire assembly against impacts received on the auxiliary bumper member 85, a stiiening member or strut 48, which extends between the outer depending side wal1` I8 of the fender l0, and the principal body portion 49, of the vehicle, immediately to the rear of the opening I2. The strut member 48 is bolted or otherwise suitably secured to the fender I8 and to the body 49 of the vehicle, as at 88 and '5 I, respectively (Figure 7) In order to mount the combination fender shield and auxiliary bumper unit on the fender, the latching lever 28 is rocked to a position where the long leg portion 89 extends substantially downwardly which necessarily causes the short leg portion 29 to be moved to a position below the top edge of the panel I1. The unit is then held in an angular position as indicated by the dot.. ted lines in Figure 5 and the arcuate end portions 8| of the attaching plate 88 are hooked through the openings 41 in the complementary plate member 48. The unit is then rocked about the lingers 4| so as to bring the entire panel portionof the fender shield into position against the fender. During this latter operation, the inwardly turned flange I9 with the rubber cushioning strip 28 is moved into the channel' I4, I5, I8 of the fender I0. With the fender shield unit held in this position, the latching lever 28 is rocked in such a manneras to move the short leg portion 29 into engagement with the under surface of the iiange portion I5 of the fender I9 and the lower end 82 of the latching lever 28 is sprung over the bracket 88. The fender shield and bumper unit is now in tirm mounted ensagement on the fender.

To remove the fender shield unit from the fender, t-he above described operation is carried out in reverse order.

While `I have shown a particular embodiment of my invention, it will, of course, be understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto, since many modications may be made, and I, therefore, contemplate by the appended claims to cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a vehicle having an outer depending side wall portion overhanging a wheel thereon and having an opening in, said wall opposite the wheel, and a rear bumper member, the combination comprising a fender shield and auxiliary side bumper unit comprising a panell portion ar' wall portion overhanging a wheel thereon and 10 having an opening in said wail opposite the wheel, and a rear bumper member, the combination comprising a fender shield and auxiliary side bumper unit comprising a panel portion arranged to cover the wheel opening in said wall, a bumper member rigidly secured to said panel portion, and means for detachably securing said panel and said auxiliary bumper member to said ve- 'hicle including detachable means for pivotally supporting said auxiliary bumper member onv said iirst bumper member, and means for supporting and clamping said panel to said side wall, said auxiliary bumper member overlying and seated on said side wall adjacent said opening.

FREDERICK W. WOHIFIELD. 

